


In A Meadow, Uncut And Understood

by ladylakebees



Series: When The Blizzard Ends [2]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, can be read as romantic or platonic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-22
Updated: 2020-11-26
Packaged: 2021-03-09 20:35:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,323
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27672118
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ladylakebees/pseuds/ladylakebees
Summary: Scenes that dont fit within my main fic "Start Again, Before The Memory Of The Mess We've Made." All are fic-canon, they just didnt work with the rest of the fic.
Relationships: Lancelot & Merlin (Merlin), Merlin & Morgana (Merlin)
Series: When The Blizzard Ends [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2023439
Kudos: 9





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This first chapter takes place midway through chapter 7, right after Lancelot and Merlin talk about the other's reactions towards Lance.
> 
> This chapter is dedicated to the Mercelot/Merlance discord server 🥰

"I'm not sure I can maneuver around Gwaine," Lancelot frowns, looking down at the drunkard's sprawled form on the bed and over top Percival's legs. "Why am I not surprised Gwaine sleeps like a ---," Merlin quietly laughs to himself, shaking his head, and turns to Lancelot. "You can share my bed, if you'd like." "Why, _Merlin_ , at least court me first!" Lance says in a false scandalized voice. The warlock punches his shoulder, "Oh shut it, you arse!" He takes the hit in stride though, and smiles.

Merlin quietly leads him up the stairs to his room across from Morgana's. The faerie lights were the only source of light in the room, at least that's the excuse Merlin used to grab Lance and guide him across the messy-clean room. "Just to warn you, Morgana loves physical contact when she sleeps in here, so if you touch me while I'm asleep, I'll think you're her, and I'm going to straight up ---, ah damnit, I'll hold you in my sleep!" Merlin laughs, but in a serious enough tone Lance believes him. "Morgana and you sleep together?" he asks instead of addressing the warning, torn between concern and disbelief.

Merlin rolls his eyes. "Lancelot, make one more comment about my sexual habits– _no,_ Morgana and I do not _sleep together._ Not in that sense. She still has nightmares sometimes, ever since she came back." He sounds saddened by this, and Lancelot can't blame him. From the sounds of things, Merlin and Morgana seem to have become close again, and Lance knows that if his close friend _(did Merlin still consider him the same?)_ had recurring nightmares he would be distressed as well. Lancelot nods solemnly, and ends the conversation by crawling on the opposite side of the bed.

Merlin lays on the other side, but faces towards the man, who does the same. Lance smiles at him sadly. "I missed you," he whispers. "You're not the first one to say that," Merlin bitterly laughs at himself, curling into himself. The knight reaches across the gap between them to grasp his arm, very much the same way Gwen did just a few hours ago. He almost laughs at how similar the two were, and understands how they could have fallen for each other so hard in the beginning.

"Not just your physical presence, Merlin. Your true self. Even before I walked through the veil, I could see how heavily everything weighed on you, like you had the weight of the world on your shoulders. I can't even imagine how you felt after I was gone," Lance murmurs, running his hand up and down the warlock's arm. He tries not to shiver at the contact.

Morgana was physically affectionate with Merlin, sure, but it was a very specific kind. Both sorcerers were touch starved, Morgana in her crazed years and Merlin in his isolated millennia, and being the only people the other knew despite being enemies at first, there was an immediate need for connection. It started off slowly and awkwardly, with Merlin having to help her with basic tasks in the everyday world, but then it became as simple as passing touches as they walked by each other. It only became as affectionate as it was now when Morgana had an intense nightmare one night and almost outright begged for comfort from the warlock. Ever since that first night they slept tangled together, they relied on the other's touch to feel grounded, to feel sane.

But Lancelot's touch was different. It wasn't as if he had never touched Merlin before, and it certainly wasn't the first time he rubbed his arm like this, but after all that time alone, of never feeling his old best friend's touch… it was nice. Weird, but nice. He tries not to think about it too much, not when it's this late.

Lance's soft laughs makes him realize that he had unconsciously moved closer to him. "Are you sure its Morgana who craves affection?" "She might have rubbed it off on me," Merlin mumbles, embarrassed, but doesn't back off when Lancelot doesn't protest. In fact, and he hopes it isn't just his imagination or his touch starved body desperate for more affection, the knight's hand seemed to be tugging ever so slightly. The warlock takes the plunge, and pushes himself near chest to chest with him.

Lancelot weirdly doesn't seem to mind at all, and just throws an arm over his shoulder. "Now I definitely don't believe it's Morgana," he simply says, stroking his thumb down Merlin's neck. Merlin shivers again, and turns face down into the pillow. "Oh, shut up, Lance. I just… really like being held, alright? It's girly, I know." "Nothing wrong with that, Merls."

Has he ever felt this loved before? He doesn't remember. The memory of his mother holding him in his youth has long since faded, the only memories he has of warmth from Camelot's time is in passing thoughts upon seeing the resurrected. Even old memories of Arthur, who he knows is his other half, have started fading, he's not sure he'll ever remember those moments of happiness again without the king's help.

Merlin sighs, and takes it upon himself to bask in Lancelot's tender friendship, his genuine love, and implores himself to please, _please remember this_.

Both men wake up feeling rather well rested all things considered, and neither comment on the tangled position they took up during their sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merlin: "Why am I not surprised Gwaine sleeps like a **starfish**..."  
> Merlin: "... I'm going to straight up **cuddle you** -"


	2. Chapter 2

"Dutch chocolate or coffee?" Merlin softly asks, peeking into Morgana's room. She's splayed out on her stomach upon her bed, face buried in her pillows. 

"Dutch," is her muffled reply. Merlin closes the door behind him and glides over to her, ice cream already in hand. She crawls up to the head, and snatches the sweet from his hands. "Thank you," she mumbles, violently stabbing her ice cream with her spoon.

"I'm sorry I asked you to do that so soon after they stopped doubting your intentions," Merlin says, settling flush against her side. She leans fully against him, head against his shoulder and legs curled inwards toward him. "They definitely didn't stop doubting me… and I wasn't about to let Lancelot be hated for something he didn't do… he's an unfortunately good guy." "Why do you think he was one of my best friends?" "He kept your magic secret?" "I mean, that contributed to it, but he's always been kind."

"He's been kind to me," Morgana whispers in disbelief, shoveling another two scoops into her mouth. "Even after I was the indirect cause of his death, he was still kind to me. Pointed a sword at me at first, sure, but I get why." She sets her tub of ice cream down in her lap, and turns to press her face into Merlin's shoulder.

"I want to be better, Merlin. I really do. But it's so hard to face everyone when I-" her voice breaks, prompting Merlin to set aside his ice cream as well and throw an arm around her shoulder. "I was so awful, Merlin. I hurt everyone I had once cared about, that I loved. I killed so many people." "You were brainwashed, Morgana," he says into her hair. "At first, maybe. But then it was all me. After Morgause died- it was just me. And- and…" she shakes her head, and magicks the ice creams to her side desk so she can curl up tighter in his side.

"This sucks. This so majorly sucks!"

Merlin rubs his thumb against her shoulder. "I know, I know it does. I'm here for you, though, okay, Gana?" "Gods, you hate me too, Merlin, I don't know why you tell me these things anyways," she gripes, her fingers squeezing into his shirt anyways. "You're a bitch, Morgana, doesn't mean you're not my friend," he simply sighs. "I hate you too," she whispers, and they both pretend there isn't a wetness on Merlin's neck.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Debated on whether or not to post this one, because I really thought that maybe I could write it somewhere else, but just wasnt working like I wanted it to, so heres a little hurt/comfort scene :)


End file.
